When the Simple is made Difficult

The Gospel is simple and uncomplicated. If we were to encapsulate the whole gospel into one brief sentence it could go like this: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). The same explanation of the gospel is beautifully captured in the frequently quoted, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

The Gospel of God through Jesus Christ is often referred to as ‘Good News’. The good news of God to mankind is truly simple. If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Period! No frills, no hidden agendas, no fine print and no “*T&C Apply” tags.

However this word, ‘believe’ is probably the most misunderstood word in the Bible. In an attempt to preach the gospel to the lost, it has been used so casually; to the point of watering down the entire gospel. The quality of faith in Christians today because of the frivolous use of the word, ‘believe’ is now seen everywhere.

What then is it to ‘believe’? The Amplified New Testament very aptly amplifies this word with three terms: trust; cling to; rely on. The more we meditate on each term, the more we would begin to realise what the gospel is all about. And herein lies the crux of how something simple can be made difficult.

Evangelicals have made the word believe to mean “accept” or “receive”. The logic is that salvation is a free gift of God and if we accept or receive this gift, we are saved. Now there is truth in this but it is not the whole truth and this is where the new believing heart has been left with the assuring words, “Congratulations brother! You are now saved.” Another true statement which is seldom fully understood is, “Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and you will be saved.” Very few leave with the clear understanding of what it means to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of one’s life. The terms “Lord” and “Saviour” are often seen as no more than titles. 

I do not demean the saving grace of God and the genuineness of the heart that has “accepted” Jesus Christ into their lives for there are thousands who will testify how that moment was a turning point in their life. Yet there are many more thousands who will tell you that they believe in Jesus without actually knowing what it truly means to “believe”.

The term “trust” is to hope with confidence and confident expectation. Hebrews 11:1 defines this for us by using terms such as, “assurance” and “being fully convinced”. The author then goes on to describe heroes of faith who trusted in God whom they could not see, yet believed with full assurance, confidence and hope that bubbled with life. Trust is being fully assured in God, convinced that He is true and faithful and ever present and in total control. Trust is not leaning on one’s own understanding but practically acknowledging Him who is never failing.

The term, “cling to” is to grasp in such a way so as to never let go. It is to lay hold of tightly as one would a buoy or a raft on a stormy sea. It is like grasping a rope and holding on to it for dear life because such a one knows that letting go would be disastrous. The Psalms are filled with terms like refuge, shelter, hiding place and the likes. In “clinging” to God, there is safety. Being “anchored” in God’s love is another shade of the term, ‘cling to’. The Lord desires that in our relationship with Him, we cling to Him with a hold that will never let go.

The third term, “rely on” can also mean to “depend on”. Can we in our walk with God, through the journey of life, rely on Him and depend on Him as the One who is fully trustworthy and dependable? As the One who cares for us and will never fail when we have put our trust in Him? Did not Christ show His love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners? Does not Scripture tell us that they that put their trust in God will never be disappointed?

The problem with us is that we are too afraid to trust in, cling to and rely on Him who is unseen. We would rather trust in what we can relate to; what is known and tested by the world as the “logical way”. We would rather cling to things that have earthly value, such as wealth or property or a source of revenue we can rely on because we can depend on that source at some point or another. We would rather lean on what our senses make us believe is reliable and dependable. 

Here lies the difficulty in keeping the gospel simple. Instead of trusting in, clinging to and leaning on God we relegate God to the peripheral aspects of our life—aspects that do not interfere with our decisions. We are content with fellowship and prayer and reading of the Bible as long as it does not come in the way of our choices.

Someone once said to me, “I cannot take the chance.” This brief yet honest confession is the underlining reason why we would rather trust our wisdom than God’s wisdom. It is the reason why would rather rely on our plans than God’s plans. We know in our hearts that God is all-wise; that He never makes a mistake; and that His plans are eternal and always for our welfare. Yet because we cannot see the Almighty Creator, we are satisfied to rely on and trust in that which we can see and relate to.

We are willing to cling to the truth that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We are willing to believe that through Jesus we are redeemed from the kingdom of sin; and that through Him we have the assurance of eternal life. We believe in our sonship. We believe in all the promises that God has given. We believe and sing, “There is none like You.” But look closely! The belief is on what Christ has done or doing for us; not on what we need to do. This is also one of the reasons we are selective when we read promises like those in Deuteronomy 28. We remember and proclaim and even remind God verses 3 to 13(a), but conveniently forget or pay no attention to verse 1, 2 and 13 (b). 

Is not a covenant between two people? When Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood it wasn’t that He would be the only party to honour the covenant and we would be merely recipients, was it? Is there no “loving God”, “obeying God” or “faith in God”? Are we not expected to please God? If we reflect on the terms, “love God”, “obey God” or “faith in God”—all three mandatory commands as our part of the covenant—we will soon understand that they find purpose only in the person of God and all that He is. How then can we do this if we do not trust in, cling to and lean on the person of God?  

What a pity that Christians settle down for something mediocre when God desires for us the best—all because we “cannot take the chance.” What a shame that the Church that is expected to proclaim the glory of the gospel; and display the power that is in it; while shining forth the light which is ‘Christ in us’; finds herself a poor witness and powerless. A ‘witness’ is one that testifies what he has actually experienced. Such a testimony is then considered true. Peter, John and the other Apostles spoke as witnesses because they saw and tasted and experienced Jesus. How sad that we testify about Jesus Christ because of what we read and hear.

I recognise that none of what I have written is easy. This is why I said that we make that which is simple, difficult. It requires total surrender. It demands 100% faith and obedience. There are no half-ways. God in His mercy accepts the littleness of our faith but He also expects it to grow. We must move from children to young men to fathers (1Jn. 2:12-14). Note how the Apostle John describes both the children and the fathers. They both know God yet there is a big, big difference in the knowledge of each. 

May God stir our hearts to repentance. May He spur within us a resolute commitment that we would enter this New Year with the earnest, longing and sincere heart to ‘believe’ in Him completely, not selectively. May He be glorified in us as we trust in, cling to and rely on Him, for this is what the gospel demands.

The Church in a Cashless Economy

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead; and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17

I very seldom write on current news except when it has some bearing on Bible prophesies. Also, this writing is more India-centric and how I see the Church in this country’s new economic push. Therefore I am not quite sure if what I write is from the Lord. However the focus of my writing eventually leads to an aspect that the Church needs to pay careful heed to, lest she finds herself unprepared and I think this is what the Lord would want too.

About three weeks after the Prime Minister of India announced that high denomination notes (which constituted nearly 86% of the cash in circulation) was no longer going to be recognised as a legal tender, I found this thought impressed upon my heart: “I have placed this government in power to fulfil what I have purposed.” This was at a time when the entire country was facing a severe cash crunch. Bank restrictions on how much money one can withdraw, serpentine queues outside banks, non-functional ATM machines have put citizens through enormous difficulties. The crisis is still on, even as I write.

A day later, news of airports in two South Indian cities allowing biometric data stored on the Unique Identity Card (known in India as the Aadhar card) as identity proof to permit passengers into the airport building caught my attention. The government controlled Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) has in its possession the name, age, photograph, address, fingerprints of all 10 digits and the iris scan of each individual who has obtained this card. A 12-digit unique ID number given to each card holder has served for some years now as a proof of identity.

Barely 24 hours later I read of how the Government of India was going to make it compulsory for all bank account holders to link their Aadhar card to their bank accounts—something that has hitherto been optional and only if one wants to avail of direct government benefits, like subsidy and the likes. Not long after that I read of how the government is planning to launch a new way of transaction now referred to as the Aadhar Payment App (or Aadhar Pay). Two banks have already initiated this; one of them being India’s largest Public Sector bank and on December 25, 2016, close to 100 merchants have begun using this form of transaction.

Here is where this new drive to get India into a cashless economy appears to be heading in the direction of Revelation 13:16-18. The system is simple and “will enable citizens in the deepest corners of the country to participate in the digital movement, even those who do not own a phone,” said the CEO of one of the banks that is part of the nationwide launch of an Aadhar-linked cashless solution. It works this way: A merchant is given an Android based smart phone with the Aadhar Pay App on it. He is also given a fingerprint scanner. All the customer needs to do to pay for his purchase is provide his Aadhar number (which is of course linked to his bank account) and authorize the payment using his fingerprint. Nothing else!

I believe that this is the beginning of what will soon be the chief form of transactions. If anyone needs to buy or sell, it will require the individual’s biometrics. The severe cash shortage and the government’s earnest resolve to push for cashless transactions has already taken centre-stage so as to quickly bring normalcy to the lives of every Indian. However my fear is this: Could this eventually lead to what has been told to us by God nearly 2000 years ago? How this will play out on a global scale, I do not know. What I do know is that the time has come for the Church to awake (Eph. 5:14).

The purpose of my writing this is to encourage each Christian heart to build their lives on the most holy faith they have in God (Jude 20). Now is the time, when the Church needs to cling to God in complete trust—in His care and faithfulness and mercy and goodness. Now is the time for each heart to be anchored in God’s unfailing, forever-enduring, inseparable and immeasurable love—an anchor that is lodged in deep so that we are not shaken in crisis; nor moved with fear when times of distress come upon us. If we do not use this time, while it is still day to know the God we believe in and lean on Him with an unshakeable faith, I fear night will come when no man will be in a position to do much (Jn. 9:4). Now is the time to gather oil in our flasks. A time will come when we will find it very difficult.

I do not write this to frighten anyone. I too pay for what I need using online transactions or debit card and sometimes my e-wallets. But never have I used my fingerprints to buy anything. So I write this to alert the Church. I write this with the desire that the Church awake, “for we are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1Thes. 5:5).

“God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thes. 5:9). The Lord knows those who are His (2Tim. 2:19) and He will keep and protect His children if they have to go through the tribulation. Just as it is written, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads” (Rev. 7:3). However twice in two chapters has God said, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (Rev. 13:10; 14:12). If anyone has an ear, let him hear (Rev. 13:9).

The Glory of God in the Birth of Christ

God reveals several of His attributes in the birth of Jesus Christ. While I post this writing at a time when the world celebrates that glorious occasion when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14), my hope is that by reminding ourselves of the glory of God, we shall be encouraged to cling to Him with greater trust—for I believe that this is what is critically needed in the Church in the times we are living in. Though there would be several attributes that we could glean from scripture, I list out just six.

The first attribute that is revealed of our glorious God is that He is eternal and omniscient. God made known through the prophets of the Old Testament precisely what He was going to do to redeem man from their sins. As far back as to Adam and Eve, nearly 4000 years before the birth of Christ, God declared how Jesus would crush the head of the serpent though He Himself would be bruised (Gen. 3:15). From then on God showed this to other men down the ages—to Abraham and Moses and David and Isaiah and Daniel and many others. The word that came to these men, hundreds or sometimes thousands of years before it actually happened described exactly every detail with absolute precision—the Messiah’s virgin birth, His name, the place of His birth, the day and even the time of His sacrifice as the Lamb of God. Scripture even revealed details of what would happen at the time of His death—the mocking, the plucking of His beard, the tunic He wore, the gall He was given and even the fact that not a bone in His body would be broken—it all happened precisely just as God revealed so many hundreds of years before it happened.

The point I am making is this: We serve a God who is eternal. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows precisely what is to happen, how and when. Nothing takes God by surprise. Nothing is hidden from Him. What is more—He knows exactly what He wants to do well in advance and is fully capable of carrying out His purpose just as He desires.

God is encouraging us to trust in Him with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. He invites us by saying, “Acknowledge Me as the One who knows your tomorrows and as One who is fully able to direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5, 6). I ask that the Church would be so trusting; in Him who can do a better job at directing our steps and our decisions without any mistake. May this character of God encourage us to hold nothing back but lean on Him completely. The God we believe in has our future safe in His hands.

The second attribute of God that is revealed in the birth of Christ is His unchanging, faithful character. Simeon waited for the fulfilment of God’s promises even though God was silent for nearly 400 years after last speaking through Malachi. Simeon knew God to be unfailing. He knew that God is dependable and trustworthy. God rewarded Simeon’s faith by revealing to Him that he would not see death until he saw the salvation of God (Lk. 2:25-32). 

Ever so often we go through times when it appears as though God is doing nothing. God’s silence perplexes us. It’s as though our prayers are in vain. The fact is that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is working even now (Jn. 5:17; Php. 2:13). Just because we do not see answers to our prayers at the time we ‘expect’ does not mean God is doing nothing. His word assures our hearts that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry (Psa. 34:15).

The third attribute of God that we see in the birth of Christ is the limitless power of the Almighty. Never in the history of mankind has anyone ever been born of a virgin, save Jesus Christ. Mary herself asked the most expected question that any person would ask (Lk. 1:34). The answer to her is the answer to us too. “With God nothing will be impossible” (Lk. 1:37). Our Lord Jesus said the same thing in another context. “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk. 18:27). 

We know and have confessed with our mouths that nothing is too hard for God. We sing songs with our lips that proclaim, “Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Nothing is too difficult for Thee.” Yet when it comes to dealing with our problems, we rely on our wisdom, our strength and our abilities. We run to people. We rely on the strength of horses and on princes (Isa. 31:1). God invites us saying, “You know that I am the King of Glory. Will you make me the King of your life? Would you let My rule and will have jurisdiction over your every decision?” Can we trust God’s leadership? Can we lean on His mighty power? Can we give Him control over our choices and decisions and say to Him in all sincerity, “I want Thee O King to have Thy way in my life. May Thy will alone be done”?

You know, when the Lord Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and dine with him,” He was not speaking to unbelievers. I have often heard Christians use this verse to tell the unsaved that God is waiting for us to open the door of our hearts to Him. While it is true that the Lord is waiting for all men to respond to His mercy and love, the appeal that our resurrected Lord made was to a Church. He was telling those whom He had saved and cleansed and redeemed, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” Are we like the Laodiceans where the King is ‘outside’ and not permitted to govern our lives? Where we have control over our decisions and imply indirectly to God, “Let me make all these important decisions, dear God. What I would like You to do however is bless my efforts. Do the extraordinary and sit quietly in the background as I give Thee my praise.” I wish it were not so, but I fear that many in the Church are like the Laodiceans. They are neither cold nor hot. They think that they are rich and wealthy and have need of nothing but fail to see that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Rev. 3:15-17).

The fourth attribute of God that is seen in the birth of Jesus Christ is the fact that God is Sovereign, protective and caring. King Herod tried everything within his power to get rid of Jesus. He tried first with trickery to extract information from the magi. He then flew into a rage and used his power to kill innocent children in his attempt to destroy Jesus (Mt. 2:7-16). Yet through it all, God kept Jesus safe. There was no harm or danger that could ever touch Him.

God in like manner tells us that He is our fortress when we make Him our refuge. He is our Shield. He is our Defender. Hebrews 13:6 says, “…What can man do to me?” Psalm 91:1 tells us that God will cover us with the shadow of His wings when we make Him our shelter. I once shared this example with a congregation of saints. I said that the Prime Minister of a country is surrounded by special highly trained security guards. They are his shield and his defender. When this important person is in danger, he does not take it upon himself to defend his life. He trusts his security who is his shield and defender to take care of that. Why then do we say to God, “You are my fortress,” and still seek ways to protect ourselves. 

May God give us the faith to rest in His love and care, just like Jesus who slept at the back of a tossed boat in the midst of a raging storm surrounded by threatening situations. Seasoned fishermen feared for their lives, but our Lord rested securely in the love of His Father (Mt. 8:23-27).

There is another attribute that we often tend to ignore. This happens because we allow our physical senses to determine what is real and reliable. The truth is that though God is invisible to our senses, He is more real and more near to us than we can ever imagine. At the time of our Lord’s birth, shepherds were watching their flock by night. The Bible first tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to them (Lk. 2:8, 9). The angel was there. They just did not know it until their eyes were opened to see him. Later in that chapter we are told that “suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Lk. 2:13). This multitude of angels was there with the first angel. It is just that the shepherds could not see them. When Jacob met the Lord at Bethel he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Gen. 28:16)

May God open the eyes of our heart to recognise that though He is invisible to us, He is ever present. His word is true when He said, “I will never leave you nor will I forsake you. (Heb. 13:5)” It wasn’t exaggeration when He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20) We need to believe it and cling to this unseen God for in Him lies our safety and our help.

Finally, the attribute that we are all so familiar with is God’s love. The oft quoted verse, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” is not just for our wall posters. It is the very demonstration of God’s love—that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). In that is God’s love over us that endures forever (Psa. 136). In it is His love that never fails. Through that love we understand that nothing can separate us from God. His love for us is inseparable (Rom. 8:39). His love is also boundless or immeasurable or fathomless (Eph. 3:18).

Why then are you afraid O my soul. Why do you tremble within? Rest in Him for His love just goes on and on and never stops. Lean on Him who is dependable and trustworthy for He never fails. Cling to Him tightly and firmly for though His love is inseparable, it is easy for thee to stray. Know that you can cast your cares on Him because He cares for you (1Pet. 5:7).

I have written all the above attributes of God that we may believe in Him and let that faith in the person of God affect our very life, our decisions and our choices. How sad it is when we hear the word and take no action. It is like the seed that either falls to the ground, or on rocky ground or among thorns. I sometimes tell my hearers that we expect that every child will grow with each passing year—from infant to toddler to young boy to grown boy and then to manhood. If this growth does not take place we call this abnormal yet how complacent we are not to apply the same standards in the Church. How sad when men and women sit with the Church for years and are still not able to move beyond the milk phase. How sad that they are not ready for solid food (Heb. 5:12). 

Our Lord Jesus gave us a very solemn warning in a story He narrated in Luke 13:6-9. It should shake us from our slumber and bring us to our knees in repentance lest after years of toil and labour in the Father’s garden we should be found to have leaves only, bearing no fruit. Our High Priest, who intercedes for us, says “Sir, let it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Prayer of the Righteous

While praying before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ a couple of days ago, I found myself making several distinct petitions. Each of these I have prayed for separately at some point in the past but this time I felt the need to write these down and pray them as a series of requests, one after another. I have chosen to post these petitions because these are what not only I but the Church needs to uphold before the throne of grace and mercy and to the faithful One who sits upon it.

Prayer: That each one of us will love God fervently from the heart regardless of our circumstances. We need to cling to God with praise, joyous hope and confidence even “if the fig tree does not blossom nor there be fruit on the vine” (Hab. 3:17, 18). Can our relationship with God be one of single-minded, pure and simple devotion to Him (2Cor. 11:3) whether we have or we do not have; whether we are blessed with answers to prayer or while dealing with challenges and struggles? Without a doubt, God is honoured when we love Him, cling to Him and worship Him despite our difficulties.  

“Renew my mind O Lord, that I will not love Thee only because there is blessing found in Thee but that I would love Thee because of Thee. Help me know that if I have life to even pray and hope and seek Thee, it is because Thou hast in Thy mercy sustained breath in me. Should Thou have chosen not to bring me into existence or instead take my life sooner, there would not have been me to pray or seek Thee in the first place. So I ask Thee in the name of Jesus, please renew my mind that I will love Thee with all my heart, my mind and my strength with an undistracted devotion and love.”

Prayer: That each of us would have a greater burden for God’s kingdom, His will and the Church. That our prayer-life would go beyond ourselves and our immediate circle. 

“Teach me O God that I may understand that Thy glorious purposes and Thy will go beyond me. It goes beyond my circle of family and friends. It even goes beyond ‘my church’. Thou didst teach us dear Master to pray to the Father, ‘Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done,’ even before Thou mentioned, ‘Give us each day our daily bread.’ Please renew my mind so that I am constantly burdened for the glory of Thy kingdom and the accomplishing of Thy will here on earth.”

Prayer: That our faith would be firmly anchored in God’s everlasting, unfailing, inseparable and boundless love—a faith so firmly grounded in the person of God and His overwhelming rich grace that He has for us in Jesus that no matter how strong the storm and how threatening the waves, we will not drown. 

I have learnt one thing at the feet of God—our Saviour will not take away the storm, He will take us through the storm. The lover of our soul will not quench the fire, He will sustain us in the fire. Remember Daniel in the lion’s den or the three youth that were thrown into the blazing furnace? Our faith must be anchored in God’s infinite care and concern for us. We would then find that we will not be shaken. We will not be moved. A definite proof of such faith is a peace within that surpasses understanding. Such rest is accompanied with praise on our lips (Php.4:4) and joy because of our faithful Saviour.

“Help me dear Lord to have a faith so firmly anchored in Thee that no matter what comes my way, I will be at rest. I am convinced that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. I am certain that Thou art mindful of me and all that I am going through. There is nothing that escapes Thy attention. In fact Thou dost know what I need before I even ask of Thee. Let me know increasing rest, almost like that which Thou didst display at the back of the tossed boat when the disciples feared for their lives (Mt. 8:24).”

Prayer: That each one of us in the Church would live a life of righteousness, truth and love; a life where the beauty of Jesus is seen in us—“Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).” Though sin abounds in the world and unrighteousness increases may we constantly seek God for strength to live worthy of the calling we received when we were made a new creation. 

“Oh how we need Thy strength dear Father, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead; may it raise us too to live righteous and pleasing before Thee. On our own we utterly fail but with Thee we can be victorious. Thou didst cleanse us from sin by the precious blood of Jesus that we may be a separated (or holy) people for Thee alone. May we not compromise on this covenant (1Cor. 11:25)—that we willingly entered into with Thee—by being adulteresses (Jas. 4:4). May Thou find in us a bride that is pure, holy and blameless at Thy coming Lord Jesus (Eph. 5:27).”

Prayer: That God may raise prophets; equip and send them into the Church so that the voice of God rings through loud and clear as each servant speaks with boldness and power.

“We need such prophets Lord. At a time when false teachers abound and clever, deceptive teaching spreads all around, I ask that Thou wouldst speak through Thy servants. The Church needs to hear Thy truth. The Church needs to hear Thy voice. Thou didst send prophets at various intervals in past centuries; the time has now come when we need such men again. Hear my cry, faithful God. Please attend to this prayer I make.”

Prayer: That God may prepare the Church to listen to the prophets whom He would send. That He may give to the Church a spirit of discernment so that His sheep would recognize His voice and distinguish it from the clamour and deception that surrounds. May such hearts not only have discernment but also be humble and repentant at the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

“In the past, the people rejected Thy messengers, dear Lord. They rejected Thee, the Master. It is not to be expected that they will receive the prophets that Thou dost send now. Yet, Thou knowest Thy sheep and when they hear Thy voice, they will listen and follow. I pray for such people in Thy Church Lord and I pray that they would be many.”

Prayer: That the decisions we make—and choices that affects our lives, our children and everything about us, small and great—would be in complete surrender to the sovereign will of our Master. That we would first and foremost desire His will and then gladly and willingly submit to all that He brings our way.

“We have trusted in Thy wisdom Oh God. We have believed that Thou who knowest the end from the beginning are able to guide us in wisdom and power into all that is perfect and best. We are convinced that there is no one that can lead us into anything better. In Thee we have the best. So whether it is decisions we make with regard to our jobs; decisions we make with regard to our children; or decisions that affect every part of our life; we gladly place them at Thy feet and ask that Thy leadership and will would govern our days. They that live such lives are safest and they are blessed. May each one of us in the Church be so trusting; for Thou cannot and will not fail. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. AMEN.”